Thursday, December 20, 2012

Khansama: Best Indian restaurant in Singapore?

Indian food...a cuisine unique to the subcontinent, and truly a masterpiece cuisine ranking with the French, Italian, Chinese and Japanese. I do love an Indian meal once a while.

Be it a simple roti prata with fish curry, or a dosa with some dhal. But a full Northern Indian meal, like those I had the pleasure to eat in Delhi is rare for me...possibly because it is always a large meal, but also because it is very rich, and not the healthiest of meals.

When I asked the Deputy Editor of India Se...a magazine specializing in addressing the needs of Indian nationals living in Singapore, what he considers to be the best Indian restaurant in town...he said without the slightest hesitation...Khansama. Kin's childhood friend, a traditionist Indian woman if there was any, concurs.

And since then, Khansama, especially the Biopolis outlet, chosen for the relaxed environment and usually rather uncrowded atmosphere, has been our family favourite. As one enters, the decor is electic indeed...from muskets hanging on the wall

To Art Deco figurines bearing lamps

Tandori is a must eat in a Northern Indian restaurant...

This is a whole chicken serving. Indeed excellent. Deeply spiced, tenderised with yoghurt, and cooked in the tandoor. Very tender, juicy, yet slightly crisp on the outside with a beautiful smoky flavour.

The mutton biryani is also superb...

Long grain basmati...good because the glycemic index is low...releasing sugars into the bloodstream in a constant, steady stream...is also beautifully fragrant on its own...but aided by the spices and saffron...becomes a wonderful rice...glorious in its own right. Within is found chunks of tender, mutton covered with superb thick curry. Very nice biryani.

I love dhal, so we had the dhal mukani

Black lentils, lots of ghee...makes this a wonderfully fragrant, rich and luxurious dish. Very nice on the palate...superb mouthfeel.

We had mutton curry in addition...

Thick chunks of mutton...a bit sinewy, but rendered soft and tender by the long hours in the pot...and a magnificent curry. I found this to be very good, but might have wished for a less sinewy cut of mutton...perhaps a tender lamb joint even, but as it is...a mutton curry and not a lamb curry, it is rather good.

Palak paneer...

Spinach with cottage cheese is another staple. Especially for vegetarian Indians, the cheese provide the essential proteins. Easy to eat...the spinach is mashed, and cooked till very soft, almost pulverised...the cheese mild and provides a textural contarast.

And an Indian restaurant worth it salt would have great naan...

We enjoyed the garlic and butter naan...I wished it was a bit more fluffy like those in Delhi or Mumbai, but this level of naan in Singapore is quite good.

Overall, an excellent, authentic Indian restaurant. Great food, reasonable service and price. And best of all, a quiet and uncrowded environment. Highly recommended.

Khansama Tandoori Castle
8a biomedical groove,
Immunos Building #01-20,21,22
Biopolis
6299 0300, 6774 0300 Khansama@pacific.net.sg